Drug-induced thrombocytopenia contributes to morbitity and, occasionally, mortality in patients treated with a wide range of medications Karpatkin, Am. J. Med. Sci. 262:68 (1971)). More than 100 different medications have been implicated in drug-induced thrombocytopenia, including heparin, quinine, quinidine and sulfonamide antibiotics (Shulman et al. Hemostasis and Thrombosis (ed 2) Philadelphia, Pa., Lippincott (1987) p.452, and Kracke et al. JAMA 122:168 (1943).
Drug-dependent antibodies reactive with platelets have been identified in only a few instances. Curtis et al., Blood, vol. 84, no.1 (Jul. 1) 1984: pp. 176-183, applied flow cytometry to the detection of such antibodies induced by sulfonamide antibiotics. Visentin et al. Transfusion Oct. 30, 1990 (8) pp. 694-700 describes detection of drug-dependent, platelet-reactive antibodies by antigen-capture ELISA and flow cytometry.
The present invention is a means for identifying, in a patient, the presence of one or more antibodies in GP IIb/IIIa receptor (fibrinogen receptor) antagonist-induced thrombocytopenia which recognize GPIIb/IIIa receptor:GPIIb/IIIa receptor antagonist complexes formed with purified platelets or purified GPIIb/IIIa receptor and a selected GPIIb/IIIa receptor antagonist. Identification of such antibodies identifies the patient as being at risk to development of thrombocytopenia resulting from administration to the patient of the selected GP IIb/IIIa receptor antagonist